A Lover's Dream
by Scandiadream
Summary: The story of Emeraude's and Zagato's love for each other. Now complete.


A Lover's Dream 

by Scandiadream scandiadream@hotmail.com 

Rating- G   


Love is not chosen by destiny, but by us. 

Part I- Childhood 

Chapter 1- The Little Emerald 

"Congratulations, Queen Mercedes, King Cavalier, you have a beautiful baby girl". the   
midwife told the Queen of Cephiro just after she gave birth.   
"What a beautiful baby. She sure will be a joy to the royal family of Cephiro." King   
Cavalier said, proud of his new daughter.   
"Clef, come meet your new baby cousin". Queen Mercedes called her younger cousin.   
Actually, Clef was more like a little brother to Mercedes, since he had grown up so close   
to her.   
"How are you going to name her?" Clef asked.   
Mercedes took a look at her newborn daughter's green eyes and said:   
"Her name is Emeraude, because of her beautiful green eyes."   
"May she have all the qualities associated with the emerald she is named after: kindness,   
intelligence, understanding, imagination, eternal life, and eternal love." Cavalier said.   
The King did not even need to state this in order for little Clef to predict that his new   
cousin would grow up to be all this, and more. 

Emeraude Sara de Cephiro Maimonides was a pleasant baby. Her presence filled the   
royal palace with joy. She would smile gently, but she was generally reserved. In fact,   
nobody ever saw her laugh until... 

Chapter 2- Premonitions of the future 

"Alfa!"   
"Queen Mercedes! It's been such a long time!"   
Mercedes was taking a walk with 2-month-old Emeraude in her stroller and young Clef   
next to her when she ran into Lady Alfa de Montague. Alfa was an acquaintance, maybe   
even a casual friend, whom Mercedes had gone to school with, but had not seen in years.   
"Oh, you're having a baby! When are you due?"   
"In a month"   
Mercedes and Clef noticed that as soon as they had ran into Alfa, Emeraude had begun   
smiling and bouncing with joy. They had never seen the baby princess behave like that.   
"Wow, Princess Emeraude must be a very happy baby"   
"Actually, she's usually pretty shy. I had never seen her this hyper."   
"Me either" said Clef. Clef Maimonides was wise beyond his years, and he was already   
pondering what in the world could have caused Emeraude's joyful disposition. 

After they had said goodbye to Alfa, Emeraude kept smiling and being cheerful.   
"Maybe I shouldn't have had that coffee in the morning" Mercedes said to her little   
cousin.   
"It was not the coffee, Mercedes"   
"You're right. She got happy only when we ran into Alfa. She must be really good with   
children. Either that, or it was her nice perfume."   
"Emeraude's joy was not due to Alfa, but because of the child that grows inside her."   
"Excuse me Clef, but how in the world is a 2-month-old going to know that a woman is   
pregnant? I remember YOU asking me when you were two YEARS old why did a certain   
lady have a big belly. But a two-month-old can't even think."   
"The child that grows inside Alfa's womb is the Princess' chosen one." Clef stated.   
"Please Clef, it is not up to destiny to pick the right person for her, but to HER. When she   
is old enough to do so. Plus the baby could be a girl for all you know. And besides, it's   
the Pillar that controls the fate of this world."   
"Uh-oh, we're in trouble" Clef's intuition told him. 

This incident was quickly forgotten, or at least repressed in the back of Clef's mind. 

Emeraude kept growing prettier every day. She was a bright child who was very friendly   
to everyone. Her favorite pastime was reading- she would lose herself in the fairy tales   
she liked so much. She was the princess, and someday she would meet her prince. But   
would she and him live happily ever after? 

Chapter 3- A pleasant surprise 

Emeraude and Clef dressed up quickly to return to school. Emeraude would be starting   
first grade, and Clef tenth grade.   
It had been an ordinary summer. Yet both Emeraude and Clef seemed unusually excited   
to go back to school.   
"Something tells me that there will be a wonderful happening in school today" Emeraude   
was telling Clef.   
Clef had no clue, but his cousin's enthusiasm was contagious. 

"Hey everyone! Hi Presea! Hi Alcyone! Hi Caldina!"   
Emeraude kissed her girlfriends hello. Presea Schneider was in the fifth grade, Alcyone   
Borgia was in the tenth grade with Clef, and Caldina Shah was in the third grade. Caldina   
had moved to Cephiro from Chizeta just a year before, but had quickly made friends.   
"I may not be a princess, but my cousins are. And I spent my entire summer in the royal   
palace of Chizeta!" Caldina said merrily.   
"I spent mine chasing cute guys" Alcyone said.   
"What else would you be doing? Mine was nothing spectacular- I just took an art class."   
Presea stated.   
"Lucky you. I can't wait till I'm old enough to take art lessons!" Emeraude loved to   
draw.   
"You seem unusually excited to be starting school, Emeraude. I know you are a good   
student and all, but nobody can be that happy about returning to school." Alcyone   
inquired the Princess.   
"Oh, I'm just happy to see my friends." Emeraude sang. But she knew something else   
was going on. She just could not figure out what. 

Since Cephiro was such a small country, all the kids went to a one-room schoolhouse.   
They sat in small groups according to grade. So it was not unusual that Emeraude's best   
friends were all older than her. Still, Emeraude yearned for someone who would   
understand her better and who had better things to talk about than just make-up and boys.   
Cavalier, Mercedes, and Clef were sort of worried also, but since Emeraude had not been   
in trouble, they tried not to think about it. 

"Class, today we have a new student. He was supposed to enter kindergarten this year   
because his birthday is in August and thus after the cutoff. But since he is so smart, he   
has been skipped to first grade. Girls and boys, I would like you to meet Zagato   
Montague." 

Chapter 4- The first step of the path 

A slim little boy with deep blue eyes and a jet-black ponytail entered the classroom. He   
smiled slightly. 

"What a perfect bully target! Couldn't have asked for a better one. You nerd, you are   
dead meat!" Alcyone thought. 

"That boy is too pretty. As compared to LaFarge." Caldina thought. LaFarge Forte was in   
the fourth grade and liked sports very much. He was the strong silent type, and friends   
with Caldina. 

"I wonder if he likes to fence" was LaFarge's thought. 

"Montague? Doesn't Mercedes have a friend with that name?" Clef couldn't place it to a   
person, but he darted a quick look to his royal cousin.   
"Why is Emeraude smiling? Is it me, or is she smiling at that boy?" 

Clef was correct. Emeraude could not help but smile at Zagato. A billion thoughts raced   
through her head. But she was only in the first grade, and a child can not feel true love   
yet. Still, the seed was planted. 

"Zagato, you can now sit with your first grade classmates, Dorado, Celica, Transam, and   
Emeraude." 

At recess, Zagato sat alone, reading under a tree. Emeraude stopped by.   
"Hi Zagato!"   
"Oh hi Emeraude. You are the Princess, right?"   
"Yes, but please think of me as a normal girl, because that's what I truly am."   
"So I guess you like to read." Emeraude took a look at Zagato's book of adventure   
stories.   
"I love reading. Hopefully I won't get bored in school".   
"It happens to me- I just get distracted and drift away into another world. So, would you   
like to be my friend?"   
"I'd love to. I don't have any friends."   
"Now you are my friend." Emeraude said. Clef was walking by, so Emeraude introduced   
him.   
"This is Clef. He's in the 10th grade. He's also my uncle."   
"Really?" Zagato asked, surprised that Emeraude had such a young uncle.   
"Yes, I am the younger cousin of Queen Mercedes." Clef said. 

"Ah-ha, so looks like Pretty-Boy is sucking up to the royals. What do you want, runt?"   
Alcyone appeared in front of Zagato all of a sudden after school had ended.   
"Uh, nothing. Emeraude's just my friend."   
"Ha, ha, ha. She's too cool to be friends with a geek like you."   
"Well she is. Bye!"   
Zagato ran away as fast as he could. Alcyone really scared him. She made him tremble   
with fear. But he was not blaming her for bullying him. He had trouble making friends,   
even though he was just a little boy. But Emeraude's warm friendship surprised him. 

"How was your first day of school, Zagato?" Alfa asked her son.   
"I made a new friend." Zagato replied.   
"No way" Aston Montague, Zagato's father said.   
"No way" Alfa added. She was just as surprised, knowing how shy her son was.   
"No way" Lantis, Zagato's younger brother commented.   
"Well I did."   
"Bring him over after school tomorrow!" Aston said, assuming that the friend was a boy.   
"I will" Zagato replied. He would not tell his parents the truth yet, nor about the scary   
bully. 

"Hi Emeraude, you seem happy." Mercedes told her daughter when she came back from   
school.   
"Hi mama. I am. I made a new friend."   
Although quiet, Emeraude was very friendly, so Mercedes was not surprised. 

"Princess Emeraude, hi! I did not know that you were Zagato's new friend."   
"Yes I am. He's great. We have a lot to talk about." Emeraude told Alfa.   
Everyone was pretty surprised. Everyone, except for Clef, who finally put the pieces   
together.   
  


Chapter 5- Changes 

"Happy Birthday Emeraude!"   
Mercedes wished her daughter a happy birthday from her bed, since she was due to give   
birth anytime now.   
"Emeraude, if you want to, you can stay home today."   
"Oh no, I want to go to school. That's where my friends are."   
"Such a sweetheart." 

"So, are you throwing a party?" Caldina asked Emeraude, hoping that her friend would   
be having a birthday bash.   
"Not this year. Mama is having a baby soon."   
  
"The same way that I am afraid of Alcyone, the same way I like hanging out with   
Emeraude. She is my best friend, the only one I can talk to. Not even my brother thinks   
the same way I do, but she does." Zagato said to himself. Even at such a young age, he   
was aware of his thoughts. And years later, his feelings would also play a role. 

Emeraude and Clef came back to school. A surprise awaited them.   
"Congratulations Princess Emeraude, you now have a little brother. Ferio Emmanuel de   
Cephiro Maimonides, meet your older sister."   
Emeraude looked at her new baby brother. He had hazel eyes, just like his father and   
mother, and his hair was blonde, but a much darker shade than Emeraude's. 

"Zagato, I'm a sister now! I got a new baby brother on my birthday!" Emeraude told her   
friend.   
"I remember when I became a brother. Way too well." Zagato replied.   
"Nyaaah" Lantis stuck his tongue out at his older brother. "Hopefully he's more fun than   
YOU." 

But unfortunately, the joy in the royal family would not last long. When Ferio was three   
and Emeraude was 12, King Cavalier developed a lethal illness. 

"Papa, please don't go."   
"Emeraude, Ferio, my illness has taken a toll on me. But do not worry about me, now I   
am headed towards a beautiful place above the sky where everyone is happy. Farewell,   
Mercedes, Emeraude, Ferio." 

"We'll be strong. We'll make it through this and make papa proud." Emeraude and Ferio   
told each other.   
They tried to be strong, but Queen Mercedes was devastated. She missed her beloved   
husband too much. So a few months later, Mercedes died of a broken heart.   
"Cavalier, I will be with you now". 

"Ferio, mama is happy now, because she is with papa, and nothing can separate them   
anymore." Emeraude tried to console her little brother. But she still had tears in her eyes.   
"I was just as sad when my father crossed over." Zagato interrupted, then handed   
Emeraude a white lily.   
"Thank you." Emeraude smiled at her friend.   
"Don't worry, I'll make sure that nothing bad happens to you and your brother." Zagato   
said.   
Emeraude held Zagato's hand in hers. He did not recoil, even though he usually cringed   
at anyone touching him.   
"Mercedes, Cavalier, I will make sure that Emeraude and Ferio grow up to be the fine   
human beings you wished." Clef shouted at the air. 

The years passed, and Emeraude and Ferio kept growing.   
One night, Clef entered Emeraude's bedroom to bring her a letter that had just arrived.   
He noticed that while Ferio was banging on his drum loudly, Emeraude was sitting on the   
windowsill, gazing at the Montague mansion.   
"Sister looks at that house more and more often. Is there a bat living in the turret? Cause   
how can you look at the flower gardens at night?"   
"Ferio, someday you will understand why". Clef intued that Emeraude's girl feelings   
were now developing into those of a young woman. 

And at the same time...   
"Brother, why in the world do you look at the castle so much? The king was just a   
decorative figure. The Pillar has the real power. So what do you want with it?" Lantis   
asked his older brother.   
"There is something more important than power inside that castle."   


End of the first part 

Part II- Pillar   


Chapter 1- Becoming 

"I would like to be a writer! And a painter! Or maybe both!" an enthusiastic Emeraude   
said.   
Ferio noticed that while Emeraude seemed happy about what she wanted to do, her eyes   
were sort of sad. Clef could tell that Emeraude wanted something more. Something that   
she would not be able to obtain, at least not easily. 

The previous pillar, Lady Acura, had just crossed over. But the path to the pillar opened   
soon...to Princess Emeraude. She was in disbelief.   
"Well, I am not. You do have the strongest heart and most beautiful feelings in Cephiro."   
Clef said to his cousin.   
"I would have thought that YOU would have been more qualified, since you are already a   
master mage, and ten years older than me. " Emeraude said to Clef.   
"And you don't have the desires that my heart has." Emeraude thought. She had never   
heard Clef express interest in any woman. 

"Congratulations, Princess Emeraude. This is Lord Montero, the High Priest that will   
assist you in your prayers. And LaFarge will lead the guard that will protect you, until the   
Magic Swordsman is ready."   
"I would much rather have the guard protect the people of Cephiro directly". Emeraude   
said.   
"But by protecting you, we will protect the people."   
Emeraude only had benevolent thoughts, yet protecting the people directly seemed like a   
very revolutionary idea to Clef. 

"My successor has been chosen" Lord Montero told Clef. "He is much better than what I   
could ever be. Please train him well. And the Magic Swordsman has already began his   
training, even though he is just a boy."   
"I will, Lord Montero". Clef replied.   
Clef was not surprised to see that Zagato had been the one chosen to become the next   
High Priest. His heart was almost as strong as Emeraude's. In fact, Clef wondered if the   
reason Emeraude became pillar and not Zagato was simply because Emeraude was born   
three months earlier, since both had the strongest will and convictions of all of Cephiro. 

Princess Emeraude was an excellent pillar. Lord Montero made sure that nothing got in   
the way of her prayers. Emeraude could still read, write, paint, and go shopping with her   
girlfriends, as long as the kept thinking of Cephiro and nothing else took the majority of   
her thoughts. 

Emeraude seemed happy...but she was not. And it seemed that only her little brother   
Ferio, who was now almost a teenager, could tell. When Emeraude became Pillar, she   
was in her late teens, so focusing on her position was not too much of a problem. But as   
the years passed, the dreams of a woman could not be ignored. Even though she kept her   
body looking like that of a young teen, her thoughts and feelings were those of the young   
adult she now was. 

Yet she hid it from everyone.   
"Emeraude is the right person for the Pillarhood because she is the pickiest person in   
Cephiro". Presea would joke.   
" I still cannot believe that Silverado does absolutely nothing for you." Caldina said.   
"Well he does not." Emeraude replied.   
"Girl, you are as choosy as I am easy." Alcyone would tease her.   
Emeraude was incredibly picky. Yet she knew in her heart that there was somebody for   
her. Her happy childhood and adolescence before becoming pillar were now just a   
memory away. A memory which could be repressed, but not destroyed. 

Chapter 2- Emeraude's gift 

Princess Emeraude and Lord Montero were conducting their prayers for Cephiro one day,   
when Lord Montero began feeling chest pains.   
"Lord Montero, are you all right?"   
"Princess Emeraude, the time has come. My mission as High Priest is complete. But my   
successor is much better than I could ever be."   
"Lord Montero! Clef, please come quick!"   
Clef hurried to the pillar chamber.   
"Clef, call a doctor" Emeraude said   
"Please don't. I am now headed towards eternal peace. Take care of Cephiro. Farewell".   
"Emeraude, don't worry about Montero. He will be all right..." 

But as soon as Montero exhaled his last breath and disappeared, both Clef and Emeraude   
noticed something amazing happening. Emeraude's white rose, the one that had been   
planted for her on the day of her birth, was blooming. The chamber filled with light, and   
Emeraude took her true form automatically, without her purportedly willing herself to do   
so. Because Cephireans could alter their appearances, this would not have surprised any   
spectator. Yet Emeraude's heart told her that something special would happen due to   
those signs. 

Later that day, Clef ran into Presea, Alcyone, and Caldina.   
"What's up Clef?" Presea asked.   
"Lord Montero passed away today."   
"Oh no, Emeraude must be sad. We were planning on taking her shopping, but since this   
happened, we'll postpone the trip." Caldina said.   
"Oh, please do take her shopping. I don't want anything to distress her. " 

The ladies entered Emeraude's chambers.   
"Emeraude, Clef told us to take you shopping so that you would not get distressed, and...   
Emeraude?" 

Presea, Alcyone, and Caldina could not believe their eyes. Emeraude was standing at the   
window, her ankle-length hair flowing in the wind. She held her white rose, now in full   
bloom, in her hands, and kissed it often. She was praying, but not in her usual way. She   
was smiling, in expectation of something that she was not exactly sure what it was.   
"I had never seen Emeraude pray with such intensity"   
"Or with such interest."   
"You could even say that she's praying with passion."   
And indeed she was. Emeraude was now praying as a lover. But the girls did not know   
this. Since Emeraude was going shopping with them, she was planning on going in her   
adult form anyway, so the ladies did not suspect anything. 

"Ladies, how picky is Emeraude?" Clef double-checked with Emeraude's girlfriends.   
"Oh, her face should be in the dictionary next to the word picky." Presea said.   
"Yeah, there could be nobody pickier than her." Caldina added.   
"Why do you ask?" Alcyone wondered.   
"Just curious." Clef said, then ran quickly towards the Montague mansion. 

Lantis Montague was eating a big piece of steak. He had been informed that tomorrow he   
would take place as the only Magic Swordsman in Cephiro, so he was celebrating.   
"Hi Lantis. You must be happy about your promotion."   
"Not anywhere as happy as my brother."   
"Where is he?"   
"On the roof"   
  
Clef hurried up the stairs towards the roof of the Montague mansion. And there he saw   
Zagato, his kilometric hair flowing in the wind, happier than ever.   
"He must be really happy about becoming High Priest" a naive Lantis said to Clef.   
Clef hoped that his hunch was wrong. 

The next day...   
"Sister, you look so pretty". Ferio had never seen his older sister look so beautiful. But he   
did not wonder why, he just thought she dressed up for the ceremony.   
But Ferio would begin to ask questions soon. The doors to the Pillar Chamber opened   
and three male figures entered. Ferio swore he heard his sister's heart beating harder as   
the gentlemen approached her.   
"Sister's got tachycardia. That's weird." 

"Princess Emeraude, this is Lantis, the Magic Swordsman who has now finished his   
training and will become the new Captain of your guard".   
The young man with short hair made a reverence to her.   
Emeraude's faint memories came back to her slowly. The last time she had seen Lantis,   
he was a kid. Now he was a big boy, almost a man.   
"Welcome, Lantis. I would prefer it if you and the guard protected the people directly."   
Lantis was a bit surprised by Emeraude's statement, but it did not seem like a bad idea.   
"Don't worry, Emeraude." Clef said. "And this is the new High Priest that will assist you   
in your prayers for Cephiro."   
"Please, call me Zagato, if you prefer." He did remember his good friend.   
And she did remember him too now, but her reaction was different than to Lantis. She   
smiled at him, and blushed, and her heart beat faster.   
"Wow, he's gorgeous!"   
"Sister?"   
Ferio remember the signs his older sister had told him that revealed when someone liked   
another person in a special way. And he was in awe that Emeraude was showing them- in   
his life had he seen his sister like a guy.   
"Can't be Clef because he's our cousin and we see him every day. And I doubt it's the   
normal one, because he's just a boy a bit older than me. So it must be the pretty one."   
Was it Ferio's imagination, or was he hearing two hearts beating? Ferio gave Clef a   
confused look. And Lantis gave Clef the same confused look, since he knew how   
impossibly picky with womyn his older brother was.   
"Brother, I have never seen you like a woman, yet you happen to like the one that is   
pillar? No wonder they call you the weird one."   


Chapter 3- Melancholia 

"Zagato..."   
He started filling Emeraude's dreams. At first it was only her dreams while she slept, the   
only time where she did not have to think of Cephiro and its people as a whole. But   
dreams of him became more and more recurrent. Those were only dreams, or were they? 

Emeraude began to look forward to conducting her prayers with Zagato every day more   
and more. Their friendship had rekindled, and they got along great. Clef could tell that   
Emeraude worked much better with Zagato than with Montero, the previous High Priest.   
"Emeraude, you're my best friend in the whole world." 

"If only you knew that I love you as more than a friend, Zagato. But I shall keep it all to   
myself, and never let you know." She thought of him more and more often, and soon he   
filled her heart as well. Emeraude began forgetting that she had a duty as the pillar of   
cephiro to maintain the peace and stability of the land. 

"Am I in love with Zagato? From what I have seen, this is what love feels like. I had   
never meet someone as wonderful as he is. I want to spend eternity with him. I don't care   
if there's a job to be done. I just want to be with Zagato and make him happy." 

"Oh, but he probably does not feel the same way for me. I cannot, and do not want to,   
make him fall in love with me. He has to love me just as I am." 

Emeraude had been told that there had been more monsters than usual in Cephiro, but   
since they were still pretty sporadic, she did not worry. She thought about Zagato more   
and more. 

"How I long to touch him. To hug and kiss him. To..."   
Emeraude could not hold her desires in anymore. She snuck out of her chambers to watch   
Zagato, who was chatting with his younger brother.   
"Hey, Zagato, look."   
And there Zagato saw his beloved Princess, who was gazing at him. Emeraude noticed   
that the brothers had seen her, and ran away, blushing, almost crying.   
"Emeraude, please don't go." she heard two identical voices.   
Emeraude turned around and she saw Zagato smiling at her, blushing also. She didn't   
know what to say or do now. He now knew how she felt about him. And she realized that   
he loved her back just as much. Lantis just shook his head and chuckled. Emeraude   
smiled gently and left. 

"My heart can not stop loving Emeraude." Zagato confessed to his brother.   
"But it's forbidden for the Pillar to love or be loved. There are many nice womyn in   
Cephiro." Lantis said.   
"But they are not Emeraude. Nobody compares to her."   
"Brother, you are confusing the fact that she's the only one who sees things like you do   
with love."   
"I am not, but that is one of the things that makes her so wonderful." 

Zagato suffered the same struggle that Emeraude had. In his life had he been in love with   
a woman, nor had met anyone as special as Emeraude. And now that he knew that his   
feelings were corresponded, he definitely wanted to fight the system. 

"Hey Lantis, guess what! I got straight A's for this 9-week period!" Ferio announced to   
his friend one day after school.   
"Wow, straight A's. That's something that I never saw. My brother would whine if he got   
anything less than an A, but I was happy with C's."   
"Yeah, my sister saw A's all the time, but this is a miracle for me. So how has your day   
been?"   
" I sliced too many monsters" Lantis said.   
" Probably people bitching about their grades" Ferio said, hoping that Lantis would not   
suspect the truth he already knew.   
"Nah, my brother and your sister are thinking more of each other than of Cephiro. Oops!"   
"I know. Sigh". Ferio and Lantis sat down, bummed. 

Lantis left Cephiro shortly afterwards. He was torn between his brother and his country.   
He knew that his brothers feelings were sinful according to Cephiro's laws, but he could   
just not bring himself to punish his brother. So instead, he hoped that by avoiding the   
problem it would go away. He left to Autozam, land of the free and home of the brave. 

Part 4- Tristesse 

Seeing the destruction that now plagued Cephiro, Emeraude locked herself up in the   
Water Dungeon. She innocently thought that if she did not see Zagato anymore, she could   
forget about him. 

But she could not. Forgetting to eat was easier than forgetting about the man she loved.   
Someone who made her so happy, yet so sad at the same time. Emeraude then took the   
most painful decision of her life. 

"My beloved Zagato: My love for you has caused nothing but destruction to Cephiro. I   
cannot forgive myself for the damage that I have caused. Such beautiful feelings, yet so   
harmful. I have decided to call the Magic Knights and have them fulfill the legend.   
Please forgive me. May you live a long and happy life, and when you cross over, we will   
meet again and then our love will never end. Love, Emeraude." 

"There's no way I am going to allow this." Zagato said.   
"I am just as saddened as you are, but it is Emeraude's wish." Clef told Zagato.   
"Yes, in Heaven, nobody cannot tell my sister to not love you."   
" Why must only Emeraude pray for Cephiro? That is not fair. I will end the legend of the   
Magic Knights." 

Zagato stormed out of the chambers and into the Water Dungeon, where Emeraude had   
locked herself up trying to pray for Cephiro without thinking about Zagato.   
"Don't worry Emeraude. I will end the legend of the Magic Knights. You will live and be   
free."   
"But if that happens, Cephiro would be completely destroyed. What will happen to the   
hopes and dreams of those who inhabit this land?"   
"Those people are preventing YOU from making your wish come true. I have grown   
hateful of the pain they have caused you. We will flee to Autozam where everyone is a   
world apart."   
"Zagato, I cannot do that. I could never forgive myself."   
"Emeraude."   


"Emeraude, please, be free"   


"Zagato, finally, I am yours, and only yours, my darling." 

End of Part II. 

Warning- this part can and will contain hentai.   
Rating- R. Or should I say PG-13? Erotic love between a monogamous couple who truly   
love each other is a beautiful thing. So why should we shield kids? 

Part III- Eternity 

Chapter 1- Dreams come true 

Emeraude walked into the tunnel of light. She found herself in the most beautiful place   
she had ever seen. Even more beautiful than Cephiro was when she thought only about it.   
Even more so than the places she had seen only in books. A smile appeared on her face,   
because she knew now that she was finally going to be happy. 

And then she heard the voice that she loved the most in the whole universe.   
"Welcome to eternity, Emeraude."   
She turned around and saw the man she loved. The man who had given up his life in   
order to save hers, and whom she had then given up her life in order to be with and to   
save the land.   
"Zagato!"   
The two ran towards each other and embraced tightly. They had not been allowed to hug   
in Cephiro, since it would create turmoil. But now they were free.   
"It was worth it. Zagato, it was worth it." Emeraude said.   
"We are now in a place where all our dreams can and will come true. Where nothing can   
hurt us or separate us anymore. Where we can be together forever."   
"This is happily ever after" Emeraude said. She could feel her tears of joy flowing down   
her cheeks, and she could also feel a tear fall on her head. She took a look at her   
beloved's face.   
"Emeraude, am I still making you cry?" Zagato dropped to his knees.   
"No, they are tears of joy." Emeraude stretched out her hand to him and lifted him up.   
"For many years, I had hidden my tears from you. I did not want to make you any sadder   
by having you see me cry. But I have been crying since I crossed over. I cried when I   
could not be there with you anymore and you were sad. I cried when you were angry. I   
cried when you asked the Magic Knights to kill you. But then, my tears of anger turned   
into tears of joy when you said that your true wish was to be with me. And as much as I   
wanted you to live free in Cephiro, I cannot help but be ecstatic that you are with me   
now." Zagato said, still crying, while holding Emeraude's hands in his.   
"It is okay to cry. Just remember that from now on, whenever you cry, I will be right here   
to wipe away your tears, to hold you in my arms, and to make you feel happy again."   
Emeraude said as she stroked Zagato's face with her hand. Zagato smiled   
wholeheartedly.   
"I love you." Emeraude said.   
"I love you too." Zagato replied.   
Emeraude and Zagato both closed their eyes simultaneously. Their love for one another   
was guiding them. And now their lips met in a sweet kiss. It was the first time that they   
kissed- never before could they even consider it without getting in trouble. But the wait   
was worth it. Their lips and tongues danced with each other as they could finally kiss like   
lovers. Emeraude thought that she was going to melt, but she held on tightly. 

"Whoa" Zagato was speechless. He hugged his true love tightly, rejoicing at the delicious   
kiss they had just share.   
The happy couple held hands and walked more into the beautiful woods. They wanted to   
sit down and talk below one of the tall trees. Zagato sat down first.   
"Please sit on my lap" he said.   
"Awww." Emeraude sat on her sweetheart's lap and wrapped her arms around him,   
happy because she could finally do as she wished.   


Chapter 2- Gaining Confidence 

Zagato and Emeraude had talked and laughed for a while. Their conversation was so   
pleasant that they had lost track of how long it had been. But time did not exist where   
they were now, so it did not matter.   
They were best friends, so they did not run out of things to talk about. So many beautiful   
things they had wanted to say to each other. And of course, their chat was filled with   
kisses and little caresses. 

"I hope that this joy will never end." Emeraude was truly delighted.   
"It won't. Let me think only of you. Let me always be with you." Zagato replied with a   
smile on his face.   
The sweethearts kissed again. Emeraude felt something flutter inside her.   
"Cephiro, it is now completely safe. Let's go take a look" 

And indeed, they were able to spy on how Hikaru had abolished the pillar system and   
now the people could pray for themselves.   
"Why didn't I think of that?" Emeraude wondered.   
"Hikaru had much more information to know than you. I did not think of it either. That's   
something hard to come up with." Zagato said, giving his lady a pat on the back to   
reassure her. 

But something else would not reassure so much.   
Mokona, the Creator, was saying to Hikaru that maybe Emeraude did not understand the   
people of Cephiro, that maybe she did not try to feel their pain, that she could have   
abolished the pillar.   
"But I tried my best. Now it turns that I did wrong."   
"Of course not, my darling. Hikaru saw much more than you do."   
"All the previous pillars before me had done things well, so I thought that it was my   
fault."   
"I knew all along that it was not, yet I do not think that you were wrong."   
" Well, now I feel stupid"   
"But you are the most intelligent person I know, Emeraude. If you were chosen to be   
Pillar, that means you are something special." Zagato said, trying to make Emeraude feel   
better. He kissed her cheek. Emeraude smiled gently, but Zagato could tell that she was   
pushing back her tears.   
"I will not let anyone, not even the Creator, make you feel bad about yourself."   
"Thank you." Now Emeraude was smiling genuinely, because she knew that at least   
Zagato did love her as she was. 

Emeraude and Zagato walked away from the viewing area. Suddenly, they heard a   
familiar voice.   
"Pu pu pu pu, pu pu pu pu!"   
"Mokona!" Emeraude and Zagato exclaimed, then bowed down to the creature that they   
now knew was the Creator.   
"What, no 'hi cutie, how are you'? No 'what's up, little buddy'? No 'pu pu pu, you're   
Mokona and you say pu'?" Mokona asked the two humans.   
"Uh, well, we now know who you truly are." Zagato said. Emeraude was too nervous to   
talk.   
" The more reason to do so." Mokona laughed, then noticed that Emeraude looked a bit   
uncomfortable.   
"Emeraude, you don't look as happy as I would like you to be. And Zagato, I thought that   
you were going to ask me a lot of questions."   
"Oh yes, and the first one is: why are you being so hard on Emeraude? You may not think   
she is special, but I do, and I will defend her forever." Zagato said in an antagonistic   
way.   
"Zagato! It's ok, Mokona, I understand." Emeraude said. Mokona and Zagato could tell   
that she didn't and that she was just trying to prevent Zagato from getting into trouble.   
"On the contrary, I agree with you that she truly is a wonderful person."   
"Then why were you so harsh on her?"   
"When you said that I did not try to understand the people of Cephiro, it made me feel   
inept because the people I care for are important to me." Emeraude said, with all the   
courage inside her coming out. Zagato squeezed her hand in approval.   
"Emeraude, just because I commented on your decision versus Hikaru's, does not mean   
that I think any less of you. I was just pointing out what you did so that others can learn   
from it. You are a wonderful person- the one chosen to become Pillar. No mediocre   
person would have been chosen by me for something so important. Everyone's different,   
and just because you chose something different than Hikaru does not mean that you are   
wrong."   
"But..." Emeraude still did not look convinced.   
"When Mercedes and Cavalier wished for a baby, I made sure to spend extra time and   
energy on her. To let her have all the qualities associated with her name. And to let her   
be a source of joy for everyone. And you were so, Emeraude."   
"Especially for me" Zagato thought.   
"And I made someone very special just for her. Someone whom I spent just as much time   
and energy on. Someone that I sent to her exactly three months, nine days, six hours, and   
fifteen minutes later. " Zagato was surprised at hearing the difference between his and   
Emeraude's ages. He rejoiced at the compliment.   
" It did make me sad that the two of you could not be together while in Cephiro. Part of   
me would have liked you to abolish the pillar, Emeraude. But part of me is very happy to   
have you with me now, since I love both of you so much."   
"Thank you Mokona." This time Emeraude smiled truly. It was very uplifting to hear the   
creator tell you how proud of you she is.   
"Thank you Mokona" Now Zagato felt happy that his greatest question was answered.   
"Pu pu pu?" (ahem cough, how about a hug?)   
"Yay!" Emeraude hugged Mokona as she flew towards her. Zagato joined in the group   
hug, as he patted Mokona's head.   
Mokona kissed both lovers on their foreheads, and left skipping and singing merrily.   
"Those two needed a confidence boost". 

Part III- United in Eternal Love 

Warning- this is the hentai part. Sweet and romantic, but hentai. 

And indeed it worked. Now Emeraude and Zagato were able to have the strength to   
express their greatest wish to each other.   
They were sharing a tender kiss under the skies. Emeraude held Zagato's hands in hers   
and said:   
"The two of us have not become one yet."   
"I was waiting until you felt ready." Zagato replied, smiling.   
"Well I am now readier than ever." Emeraude said, also smiling wholeheartedly as she   
touched the face of her true love with one hand and put the other arm around his waist.   
"So am I" Zagato said, wrapping both his arms around his sweet Emeraude.   
"Make love to me"   
"There is nothing I wish more." 

Zagato picked Emeraude up in his arms and headed towards the beautiful castle that   
appeared in front of them. He walked up the stairs with her in his arms, while sharing   
little kisses and beautiful words along the way. 

They entered a room with a large brass bed, many beautiful flowers, and lit candles.   
"Oh look, lots of pretty flowers. Just as I wished my first time with my beloved would be   
like." she said   
"And I absolutely love those candles." he said   
"How romantic! Now we'll finally be united. And our love will last forever and ever."   
she exclaimed.   
"Together forever, our happiness will grow and our love will bond us, my beloved." he   
joined.   
"Zagato"   
"Emeraude"   
"My true love" they said in unison.   
"I'm glad I read a book about this" Zagato thought. Even though he was full of love for   
Emeraude, he was still a bit nervous over their first time ever.   
As if she had read his mind, Emeraude said "Let your feelings be your guide". She kissed   
his hands, then he kissed hers. Both took off their crowns and let their long hair down so   
that each other could caress it. 

Zagato held Emeraude's face in his hands and kissed her lips softly. He proceeded to kiss   
her neck and ears. She smiled in delight, and kissed the back of his neck.   
"Oh, that feels good"   
They made their outer clothes disappear, and they caressed each other with love and   
passion. Every stroke felt better than the one before. 

Now they bared their chests Emeraude ran her hands through Zagato's well defined chest   
and abs. Zagato stroked his fingers through Emeraude's breasts and began sucking on her   
nipples tenderly.   
"This is so yummy! And we haven't gotten to the best part yet." But more important than   
the pleasure they felt was the love that they were sharing with each other. 

Emeraude laid down on her back, and Zagato climbed on top of her. They now bared   
their souls completely to each other. She pulled him over for a long, tender, juicy kiss, as   
they both caressed their faces and necks.   
"Take me"   
"Wherever you wish"   
Zagato entered Emeraude's gates of joy and proceeded to fill her with his love.   
"Does it feel good?"   
"Very!"   
Emeraude ran her nails up and down Zagato's back. And he did not forget about kissing   
and caressing her. The lovers laughed, moaned and whispered lovely thoughts to each   
other while they enjoyed the ultimate act of love.   
Now they both felt the pleasure coming up to a breaking point. They held each other's   
hands as they could feel their first orgasm. It was not just pleasure, as they had heard so   
much about, but also an incredible sensation of warmth and happiness. They smiled and   
shouted in joy. 

Emeraude fell back into the bed, and Zagato fell into her shortly after exiting her. The   
lovers found each others arms quickly and embraced tightly, in awe about the incredible   
act of union they had just experienced. They held each other without saying a single word   
for a while, amazed at how wonderful it was and happy that they finally belonged only to   
each other. 

"Emeraude"   
"Zagato"   
"Did you like it?"   
"Like it does not quite cover it. Absolutely loved it is more like it. But more important,   
did you like it?"   
"Completely, positively, definitely"   
She hugged him tight again, and both closed their eyes and kissed and caressed each   
other tenderly. 

"Emeraude, I am so happy that I finally can be your lover and not just your high priest"   
Zagato said, as he caressed the face of the woman of his dreams.   
"My lover, my companion, my best friend, my soulmate, my Zagato" Emeraude said in   
delight.   
"And I'll be dreaming of you all night long." Zagato whispered softly as he nuzzled his   
face against her neck.   
"Oh you are sleepy!" Emeraude said in a kind voice.   
"Wow" Zagato said startled. "I did not think I would need sleep anymore. But don't   
worry." he kissed her hands as he held them. "I will push my sleep back" he kissed them   
again "just for you, my darling." and once again, then he rubbed his face against them.   
"No sweetie, you do need a nap." Emeraude did not seem as   
surprised as Zagato that even though they were spirits now, they still needed some rest.   
"Would you like to join me for a nap then?"   
"Would you help me fall asleep?"   
"Of course"   
Emeraude smiled and kissed Zagato and said   
"I love you"   
He kissed her back and answered   
"I love you too"   
They held each other as they positioned themselves to sleep.   
"And I'll say beautiful things to you till you fall asleep in...my...arms" Zagato said before   
drifting into dreamland.   
"Sleep all you need, my love. And when you wake up, I'll be yours." Emeraude said   
smiling just before joining her beloved in her sleep. 

Not the end! This is eternity! Watch out for more lemons from the one and only   
Scandiadream! 


End file.
